C. S. Lewis

Clive Staples Lewis (November 29, 1898 – November 22, 1963), commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis, was a Irish author and scholar, born into a Protestant family in Belfast, though mostly resident in England. Lewis is known for his work on medieval literature and for his Christian apologetics and fiction, especially the children's series entitled The Chronicles of Narnia.

Lewis' death and legacy

Lewis died on November 22, 1963, at the Oxford home he shared with his brother, Warren. He is buried in the Headington Quarry Churchyard, Oxford, England. Media coverage of his death was overshadowed by news of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, which occurred on the same day, as did the death of author Aldous Huxley. (This coincidence was the inspiration for Peter Kreeft?s book ?Between Heaven and Hell: A Dialog Somewhere Beyond Death with John F. Kennedy, C.S. Lewis & Aldous Huxley?. In this philosophical work, the three men meet in a limbo before the afterlife, and debate the divinity of Jesus Christ, contrasting the differences in their personalities and world views ? humanism, Christianity, and pantheism.)

Related Topics:
November 22 - 1963 - Warren - Assassination of President John F. Kennedy - Aldous Huxley - Humanism - Christianity - Pantheism

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A bronze statue of Lewis looking into a wardrobe stands in Belfast's Holywood Arches.

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Many books have been inspired by Lewis, including A Severe Mercy by his correspondent Sheldon Vanauken. The Chronicles Of Narnia has been particularly influential. Modern children's authors like Daniel Handler (A Series of Unfortunate Events) and Eoin Colfer (Artemis Fowl) have been influenced more or less by Lewis' series. Authors of adult fantasy literature such as Tim Powers have also testified to being influenced by Lewis's work.

Related Topics:
A Severe Mercy - Sheldon Vanauken - Daniel Handler - A Series of Unfortunate Events - Eoin Colfer - Artemis Fowl - Fantasy - Tim Powers

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Most of Lewis's posthumous work has been edited by his literary executor Walter Hooper. An independent Lewis scholar, the late Kathryn Lindskoog, argued in several books that Hooper's scholarship is not reliable and that he has made false statements and attributed forged works to Lewis. (See The Dark Tower.) Scholars in the field of Lewis studies are divided over whether these charges have been settled at all, and if so in whose favor.

Related Topics:
Walter Hooper - Kathryn Lindskoog - The Dark Tower

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